North Monterey County High School 30th Reunion Class of 1984

On the eve of my 30th High School Reunion I dedicate this to all of my fellow Condors from the class of 1984! My name is Sergio Barrios. I recently posted a message on Facebook lamenting the fact that I could not attend due to my busy schedule and got a great reaction. This lead me to think about taking the social media step further and following up with a Youtube and putting it out here. In an effort to reach as many classmates as possible, in effect creating a sort of "virtual high school reunion" for those who could not attend or perhaps did not know it was happening. I found a few did not hear til the last minute. Perhaps there are others from other high schools or graduating years that feel the same and want to voice like I do how they feel and what it means to them. Growing up in the 80's in the small town of Castroville California I realize we had it great. North Monterey County High School was only 4 years old than. My brother Rick graduated with the first class in 1980. The school was not even finished but something about the lines and design of the school, even the location seemingly in the middle of no where surrounded by artichoke fields made it feel special to me. Everything seemed fresh and brand spanking new not just the school mind you but the music, the clothing, the hair the make up everything! I am reminded of walking through the forum and seeing so many trends as boom boxes yes boom boxes played different music I remember a valley girl contest and I think Ana Sandoval took first prize?? Denim jackets with pins scattered from Men at Work to Thompson Twins etc.... buffalo plaid shirts, rolling our jeans "skinny" with a cuff chopping sleeves off our shirts and jean jackets in the summer and lets not forget hair product and in some extremes the addition of Knox gelatin and or Aqua Net to get that "height". Driving to Monterey to hang out at the Carousel or Fisherman's Wharf, going to the underage clubs of the time and drinking non alcoholic drinks and dressing up and dancing. Hanging out at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk wearing all black and smoking clove cigarettes only to find they are really bad for you :) Slam dancing and baby doll cherry jello. And if you were part of another click you might be cruising Main or Alisal or driving to San Jose to the car shows, cruising Story and King while listening to East Side Story and buying your Bogart multi pleated high waist zoot suit pants with skinny suspenders and chain at Hammer & Lewis, freshman and sophomore year for me. It was a great time for style I could change at whim if I wanted and I liked that this has stayed with me all these years. We also came from that generation the late 70's when we were pre teens. So the hair and fashion varies greatly from our freshman pics to our Senior days when some of us wore colored converse hi tops with our tuxedo's to prom. I still remember my first car a 1974 Fiat Spider my brother had painted bright red. Many of you don't know but that car sat parked for like 6 months because it was a stick shift and my father my brothers my sisters tried to teach me to drive it to no avail. My fellow classmate Nenita Cabreros finally got frustrated and with patience taught me to drive stick. By the way "Where are you Nenita Cabreros??" as I write this I think that 30 years later I am 48 and taking swim lessons to learn to swim for the first time in my life. Writing this gives me hope that though it took 6 months I learned to drive so damn it I will learn to swim! Many of us were products of a school system that bussed us to different schools. My fate lay in attending Elkhorn Elementary School from grades 6 through 8 two of the most memorable school years of my life where I met lifelong friends that continued on to NMCHS with me namely Tony Derrer, Mark and Mario Sanchez, Franklin Hertzog and so many others. I remember my first school dance in that dark cafeteria. Someone slapped my butt and screamed MOVE!!! To my horror I did and have loved dancing ever since. Of course Frank Hertzog was the dancing king than :) And what ever happened to Mary Magic Johnson with her cool clothes and double belts, Tammy McDaniel, Gloria Camarillo and the WONDERFUL Mrs. Miller Reyes who molded my life in a way no other teacher did. All these years I have wanted to thank her personally so if anyone knows where she is or how I can reach her let me know. I would love to thank her and let her know how much she meant to me. At NMCHS the standout for me was my french teacher Mme. High who would let me borrow the large issues of French Vogue and I would dream as I stared at the glossy pics of models wearing beautiful clothing, that early inspiration is one of many things that brought me to New York. Castroville school also had a crossover effect bringing many childhood chums to NMCHS like Cynthia Dupler, Elsa Moreno Barbosa, Yolanda Jimenez, Elsie Martin, Lupe Correa, Vonda Balding, David Cisneros, Nestor Cabatu, Lucy Jimenez, Nancy Vasquez and so many others. When I think of Lucy Jimenez I think of her in every class as the teacher asked a question and we rose our hands Lucy was always like "I KNOW IKNOW I KNOW!!!!" LOL she and I laugh at that to this day. I suppose you can say there were many clicks in our day and looking back it didn't seem quite so segregated as it did diverse wether you were in FFA or Mecha, wether you wore cowboy boots or a baseball hat and wranglers or khakis, and a pendleton, new wave or nerd it was all good, at least in my eyes. We were cutting edge in our little computer class on those now antiquated dinosaurs and unless you took Mr. Thomas's typing class you were using 2 fingers on that keyboard . Who knew that 30 years later technology would take us here. I want to take a moment to try to do as many shout outs as possible. Thinking of all of you but here goes. Wade Korzan Class of 86 who is still my best friend all these years later and lives in Switzerland with his husband Leo, Mario Guzman, Elsa Moreno Barbosa who surprised and touched me when she and her sister Alicia attended my father's funeral, Cynthia Cindy Dupler my childhood neighbor I miss you so much, Olivia and Leticia Ibarra Letty and I got our first "real jobs" at Carl's Jr. Northridge Mall, Lisa Marquez, Frank and Hortencia Quezada, Michelle Carabello Barrios who is now married to my brother Alfredo Barrios love you sis, Efren Bonilla who is like my little brother, Maria Ines Lima our beautiful Brazilian exchange student who shares my birthday, Lucy "I KNOW I KNOW" Jimenez, Yolanda Jimenez Goff, Jay Cordoba, Lourdes Marquez Eberhardt, Barbara Fulton Beadle, Sherry Favela Limosnero, Bill Carroll, Frank Hertzog, Mary Magic Johnson, Tammy McDaniel, Angela Parco, Rosemary Valdivia, Gracie Escobedo Regino (I love that you collect Barbies), Wendy Ratliff McKague, Veronica Martin Arreola, Sandra Martin, Michael Foskett, Tony Derrer who remembers things I don't about myself and is a friend for life, Jody Gardner, Ray Brose, Ulku Ferah Yelbasi, Pete Ramirez, Leigh O'Donnell, Monica Melchor, Leslie, Fenkl, Paula Ruiz, Luen Woodard, Mark and Mario and Minky Monique Sanchez, Inge Fenkl, Rachel Samidio, The gorgeous Queta Littlewood who is the Veruca to my Horace (private joke) James Riley, Teresa and Yolanda Paredes, Rachel Carlos and DebbieTorres, David Cisneros, Nancy Vasquez, Dagoberto Nunez, Nestor Cabatu, Tatia Hinkle, Nellie Orono,Gracie Godinez, Barbara Hudson Elliott, Vonda Chaffin, Dana Arvig, Rodger Arroyo, Laura Dixon Arroyo,Tom Jimenez, Tom Manteiful is who I remember but my Facebook reads Tom Mante, Evelia Munoz, Lupe Correa my often dance partner at school dances, Reese Taylor, Sheri Dickison and David Bolcao I feel I have gotten to know them better on Facebook, Glen Samples and so many others I am sure I am missing. I am wishing all of my fellow Condors and their families love light and happiness tomorrow and every day of the year. I hope you all have a great time. Click to view my Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B82aeVgAU78

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